Washing machine



ug. 7, E923.

H. Q. Hmscn-w WASHING MACHINE 7l 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Feb. 23 1922lllllLl!!! 71, vena-f HERMA /VC //RSCH V TTo/PNEY Aug.` 7, w23. www@ H.HIRSCHY WASHING MACHINE Filed Feb. 23. 192? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z3 [71n/zzzOZ/J l 2my HERMAN C H/HLSCHY /l TTO FFME Ys Patented .ff-aug.. 7,19233.

UNEF STES HERMAN C. HIRSCHY, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

WASHING MACHINE.

Application filed February 23, 1922. Serial No. 538,709.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that ll, HERMAN C. l-lrnscrrr, a citizen of the UnitedStates, resident of lDuluth, county of St. Louis, State of Minne- Sota,have invented certain new and useful improvements in WashingMachinesyj/of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a washing machine adapted forgeneral clothes washing and in which comparatively thin, delicatefabrics may be thoroughly washed without being torn or otherwisedamaged.

A further object is to provide a washing machine in the operationofwhich less power will be required and it will therefore be lessexpensive to use and maintain.

@ther objects of the invention will appear from the following detaileddescription.

The invention consists generally in various constructions andcombinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

lin the accompanying drawings Vforming' part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a washing machine tub withmy invention applied thereto,

Fi ure 2 is a horizontal sectionalfview on the line 2--2 of Figure 1,looking upwardly,

Figure 3 is a view corresponding to Figure 1, showing the oscillatingagitator in its raised position,

Figure a is a perspective view of the agitator in an inverted position,

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5 of Figure 2,

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

lin the drawing, 2 represents a' washing vmachine tub, preferably ofsheet metal,

though any other suitable material may be used. rlhe tub is preferablyof the form shown in Figure 2, with parallelside walls and rounded atthe corners and an upper portion 3having inwardly projecting upper edgesoverhanging the interior of the tub and an opening 4, which when the tubis in use is closed by a suitable cover, `not shown.v

Within the tub is an upright standard 5 secured to the bottom bysuitable means, suchas a flange 6 and loclr'nut 7. rlhe upper end ofthis standard hasa. suitable stuffing box 8 and a drive shaft 9irojectsi up through the standard in the stu ng'boa and has an upper end10, rectangular *in cross section, preferably circular, at the base ofwhich is a flange 11. lt will be understood that the driving shaft maybe brought down through the top of the tub if preferred. ll. merelyillustrate one application herein, as

vboth methods of,driving are common inpower washing machines.

Enclosing the drive shaft l provide a cone 12 that is seated at itslower end on the bot tom of the tub and has a suitable lockingconnection at 13 withthe upright standard.

it being understood that this shaft has a rocking reciprocatory movementto impart the desired stroke to the agitator. 17 represents a disc,preferably of metal, and 18 is a yoke secured thereto and overhangingthe central opening 19 in the disc 17. rlhis yoke is open on all sidesto allow the free circulation of the water therethrough and through theopening in the disc between it and the walls of the cone. A cap 2O iscentrally mounted on the yoke and depends therefrom with parallel sidewalls adapted to fit snugly against the correspondingly shaped walls ofthe block 14, said cap being free, however, to slide vertically on saidblock and allow the disc or agitator to adjust itself vertically to thevolume of clothes beneath it in the tub. When there are only a fewclothes in the tub, the disc or agitator may drop down eoL to theposition shown in Figure 1, the lowermost point of its verticalmovement. 'Vl/hen,

however, there is a considerable body of clothes in the tub, then Vtheagitator will be raised, as indicatedin Figure 3, where it is shown atthe limit of its upward movement.

The block 14 has a rod 21 secured therein and projecting up through thecap 2O and provided at its upper end with a lifting knob 22 byV means ofwhich the agitator may be conveniently handled to place it in its roo Iworking position in the tub or removed therefrom. The cap 2O is free toslide vertically on this rod during the rise and fall, of the agitatorto accommodate itself to the volume of clothes. As indicated, however,in Figures 1 and 3, the-walls of the cap at all lll@ time's will be incontact with the walls of the block and consequently a rocking movementwill be imparted to the agitator at any point in itsI vertical movement.The entire device may, however, be easily and quickly 1 detached fromthe driving shaft by graspingthe knob 22 and pulling upwardly thereon.

Washing-machines as usually constructed which are capable of washinglarge and coarse pieces effectively, cannot wash. finer pieces andthoroughly clean them without l undesirable hard usage and` stretchingout 'apparatus which will force the water through the meshes'of thefabric with sufficient nagitation or movement of the garments tofacilitate the flow of the water therethrough and present .new surfacesor areas to the .action of the water. With this end in view I providetheunderside of the disc or agitator with a series ofwebs or fins. 'i iReferring now to Figure 4, I have shown these webs in detail, serpentinein form, and having an end 23 tapered gradually to an end 24.` Thesewebs are wedge-shaped in cross section, as indica-ted in Figures 5 and6, the depth of the webs varying from one end to the other and, asindicated in Figure 4, these varying ends alternate in position on thesurface of the dise, one web having its deeper end adjacent the axis ofthe disc and its shallower or smaller end at the periphery. The next webis shown in the reverse position. The webs are spaced a suitabledistance apart and in thisparticular instance I have shown six of themon the bottom ofthe agitator disc, but it will be understood 4that thisnumber may be increased or decreased, as desired, and I may make thewebs deeper or shallowcr, as may seem advisable, or increase or decreasethe degree. ofthe serpentine twist therein. Generally speaking, however,I have found that the relative arrangement of the webs and the depth anddegree of taper to be approxi? mately correct to obtain the bestresults. These webs may be made of any suitable material, but arepreferably cast in ithe skeleton metallic frame 25 shown in Figure '4and secured to the underside of the agitator disc by rivets 26 or othersuitable means.

In action, these webs in the rocking move- ."ment of the agitator have.the effect of wardly or obliquely with respect to the bottom of the tub,forcing it through the meshes of the fabric and thoroughly cleaning thesaine, imparting only sufficient movement to the garments to cause freshsurfaces to be presented to the action of the water and therebypreventing any damage to the clothes, which Will inevitably result whendelicate or'fine fabrics are drawn, dropped or pushed through the waterby the operation ofvwashing machines of the Ordinar type.

The sliape of the webs, that is, their wedge construction in crosssection and taper from one end to the other, not only causes a downwardmovement `of the water but also tends to force it against the taperedWalls of the cone, from which it is deflected outwardly through theclothes. The result is, the garments are thoroughly cleansed by theapplication of this principle of forcing the water through the meshes ofthe fabric, while the garments are swayed or moved only to such a degreethat all parts or areas thereof will be exposed to the action of thewater. The agitator readily adapts itself to the varying volume ofclothes in the tub, settling down to its lowermost position when thereare only a few clothes and rising gradually in the tub to accommodate itto an increasingl volume. In all positions of the agitator the webs willhave the same function and will produce substantially the same action inforcing the water through the meshes of the fabric.

II have shown my improved agitator in connection with a cone restinguponthe bottom of the tub, but do not Wish to be confined to thiscombination, as the agitator with the depending webs or fins thereon maybeused in a tub without the cone. In the operation of the machine, itwill be understood that a reciprocating movement in a .rotary directionis imparted to the agitator through suitable power applied to the shaft,causing the depending webs to move back and forth through the water inthe tub. The effect of this motion is to establish currents in the bodyof water owing downwardly and outwardly or obliquely in the tub andpassing through the body of clothes therein, the garments beingoscillated or shifted sufficiently t0 expose all parts of their surfacet'o the owever, inany way exerting a drawing 'or pushing action on theclothes, which would tend to break the threads of fine, delicate fabricor otherwise damage the garments. I have found .that with this apparatusexpensive laces, Silks, lingerie, fine woolens, sweaters, or otherarticles can be easily and quickly washed and cleansed without thenecessity of subjecting such garments to the damaging action of drawingor pushing them through the water in the tub. I not only action ofthewater without,-

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can cleanse the clothes better by my improved method of forcing thewater through them, but i can operate the machine vfor a considerablyless expense, owing to the tact that less powerI is required toosciiiate my im roved agitator.,

` claim as my invention:

1. A washing machine comprising a tub, a drive shaft projecting therein,an agitator operated by said drive shaft and having means provided withradially extending downwardiy converging walls for forcing the waterthrough the meshes of the fabric.

2v. iin combina-tion, with -a washing machine tub, an agitator having aseries ot webs thereon for agitating the water and forcing it throughthe lmeshes ot the garments, some oit said webs increasing in depth fromtheir outer toward their inner ends, and others of said webs decreasingin depth from their outer toward their inner ends;

3. iin combination, with a washing machine tub, an agitator Ahaving aseries ot webs thereon for agitating the water and forcing it throughthe meshes of the garments some ci said webs increasing in depth fromtheir outer toward their inner ends.,

t. iin combination, with a washing .ma-v

chine tab, an agitator having serpentine -webs thereon for aofitatin thewater and forcing through .the ciothes..

5. in combination, with a washing machine tnb, an agitator, and apiuraiity oit serpentine webs radially arranged thereon tor imparting adownward and outward movement to the water and forcing it through themeshes or the ciothes.'

ti. in combination, with a washing machine tub, a water agitatin, deviceincinding a piuraiity ot radiali webs, wedgeshaped in cross section, andtapered from end to end for forcing the water through the meshes ot thegarments.

7. in combinatiomtawith a washing machine tub, a water agitating deviceinciuding a piuraiity oii webs, radiaiiy arranged but serpentine in iormand tapered from one end to the other tor imparting a downn ward andoutward' movement to the body 'of water in the tub.

8. iin combination, with a washing machine tub, an agitator, a piuraiityot radiai webs thereon, said webs being serpentine in form, decreasingin depth from one end to the other and aiternateiy arranged on theagitator, said webs imparting a combined downward and outward movementto the body of water in the tub.

9., iin combination, with a washing machine tub, a cone mounted therein,an agitator encirciing the upper portion of said cone and a piuraiityotD water agitating webs mounted on said agitator and co-operating withsaid cone to impart a downward and outward movement to the water in thetub.

block with the variation l0. iin combination, with a washing machinetub, a drive shaft having a rectangu- .lar end, a ,block having acorrespondingly shaped socket to receive the end oi said having a hngergrip, an agitator having a' cap siidabie on said rod and provided withwaiis to encircie said bioch and siide verticaiiy on said biocir withthe up and down movement of said agitator, and said agitator havingmeans thereon for imparting a downward and outward movement to the bodyof water in the tubn i2. iin combination, with a washing machine tub, anagitator comprising a dat disc and means for imparting a rotaryreciprocating movement thereto, said disc having on ander surface apiuraiity oi depending lserpentine webs spaced apart on the surface oi?th dise and extending radiaiiy thereon.,

i3. iin combination, with a machine tnb, agitator comprising a dat diseand means for imparting a rota reciprocating movement thereto, said dischaving its under surface a pinraiity of depending serpentine webs spacedapart on the surface ot the disc and extending radiaiiy thereon, saidwebs being wedge-shaped cross section and decreasing in depth from oneend'toward the other..

it, iin combination, with a washing machine tnb, a cone mounted therein,and een agitator having a series of water agitating webs provided withdownwardiy converging waits cri-operating with said cone to impart adownward and outward movement to the chine tub and a clothes guardtherein, an

agitating device encirciing said .guard and having a verticai movementwith respect Bil@ v thereto, and a plurality ofl radially extending webswed e-shaped in cross-section mounted on sai agitating device andcooperating with said guard to impart a downward and outward movement tothe water in the tub.

17. In combination, with a washing machine tub, a drive shaft, a blockhaving a socket to receive said shaft', a cap fitting said block toturntherewith and havinga vertical movement on said block, a finger gripconnected with said block for raising it and said cap and an agitatingVdevice supported by'sai'd cap to .turn therewith and having means forimparting a downward movement to the water in the tub.

18. In combination, with a washing machine tub, a drive shaft, a dischaving an opening therein, a yoke on said disc over- .hanging said.opening, a cap d'ependin from said yoke within -said opening, a blochaving a socket to receive said drive shaft whereto a rocking movementis imparted by the movement of said shaft, said cap fitting said blockto rock therewith, and havin freedom of vertical movement thereon, an

means mounted on said disc for forcing the water through the meshes ofthe clothes.

19. Iii-combination, with a washing machine tub, a drive-shaft, a dischaving an opening therein, a yoke on said disc over-y ha-riging saidopening, a cap depending from said yoke within said opaening, a blockhaving a socket to receive said drive shaft whereto a rocking movementis imparted by the movement of said shaft, said cap fitting said blockto rock therewith, and having freedom of vertical movement thereon,means mounted on said discior forcing the water through the meshes oftheclothes, and a clothes guard projecting up through the opening insaid disc and encircling said block and cap.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 20th da of Februar1922.*

HE MAN C. RSCHY.

